Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-22

He had number of daughters
pleasant lively girls-and it was not
long before they drew Mark tout of
his shell, as they called it.
He grew to enjoy their merry chat
ter, and found his way to their home
quite often.
One of the cousins had formed a
friendship with a young girl named
Alice Marion, while away at school.
1t had proved more lasting than the
ordinary liking between schoolmates,
and she was to spend the summer III
Groveland.
She was gentle little thing, whose
shy bushes at the most trivial word adj
dressed her by Mark at first amused
him greatly. He tried to draw her out,
aud in doing SO, found, after a time,
that Alice, with her childish ways,
had brought peace and happiness into
the heart once so filled with the image
of the lost Barbara.
From the first, Mark had seemed to
Alice all that was good and noble, so
his wooing was speedy one, and in
twelyemonth after his Introduction,
Everson Farm had a gentle mistress.
Comfort and luxury joined hands in
beautifying the quaint old homestead,
for the prosperous young farmer had
plenty of money, and ''Alice must have
pretty surroundings, he thought
tenderly, Ito make up for such com
monplace workaday sort of husband"
1t would not have done to say the
concluding clause aloud, however, for
he well knew chat the little woman
would not have changed him for a
king; though he considered himself
sadly overrated in her mind, it was
very sweet to have it so.
Barbara had fallen completely out
of the Groveland world. The aunt
with whom she had lived died sudden
ly soon after her marriage, and all
trace of the village beauty seemed to
have vanished.
If Mark ever thought of her it was to
wonder at the poignancy of the old
sufferings. His welded happiness had
been without cloud to mar it's bright
ness. Alice, as matron, had grown,
even more attractive than in her girl
hood. Care sat lightly on her white
forehead, and her soft pink cheeks
seemed made for dimples to play hide
and-seek in.
One evening Mark came home from
his weekly marketing expedition to the
neighboring town seemingly strange
ly thoughtful and troubled. Alice
noticed it. and, after time, said:
Has anything gone wrong with you
to-day, Mark?"
He looked up in surprise.
why, little wife? What put that
into your head?"
81 don't know, I'm sure; unless it is
that you seem so quiet and unlikeyour-
self"
Mark thought moment, then he
said"
1.-The truth is, Allie, I am sorry and
panied, but not for myself Did you
ever hear anyone speak of girl who
was once the beauty of the village
Barbara Wildman."
Alice had heard the whole story
of Marks infatuation and disappoint-
ment, but she made no sign, though
her heart gave a great throb at hearing
the name from her husbands lips.
"Why, what of her?" she asked
quietly.
Il saw her to-day, and it made my
heart ache She is the mere shadow of
what she was, and she is alone and
Think of it! Barbara
Wildman looking for employment!
Couldn'tw find a place for her, AllieP
She was notable worker in the old
times, and could help in the butter and
cheese making"
Alice would rather have died than
let Mark see the keen pain that his
words had caused her. The thought
Of his first love domiciled in her
house! 1t was like a dart aimed at
her heart. But she was too noble not
to strive against the unworthy feeling,
and Us soon as she could command her
voice, she answered:
Certainly, Mark. If it would please,
you, bring her here. There is always
room for an extra helper"
So it was arranged, Barbara came.
A quiet reserved woman-still beauti-
ful-but not with the winsome bright
ness of old. Suffering and SORROW had
set its stamp upon her high broad fore
head, and the great bright eyes seemed
looking away into some unapproach-
able distance. Her lips were smut so
tightly together that the pretty pouting
curves which Mark remembered so
well had merged into straight red lines
suggesting an idea of firmness which
made her face too severe-looking to be
attractive.
She went about her duties with a
pre-occupied air, as though her
thoughts were far away; but they were
faithfully performed. She made no
effort towards sociability.
Alice at first regarded her with a
mixture of feeling; but she soon grew
to feel only sorrowful pity for the
lonely unhappy woman moving about
in her sombre black robes.
The Everson household was strange
" happy one. Sometimes Marks
quick temper made him unreasonable
and exacting, and hasty words would
escape his lips; but Alice had sweet
loving ways of her own that he could
not resist. She would 90 up to him
and thread her fingers through his
curly brown hair, and put up her lips
for a kiss; SO what with some would
have ended in quarrel, invariably
made Mark feel that no one in the